HR News Updates | May 2018

Unable to attend the 52nd Annual Staff Service and Recognition of Excellence Awards Event in person? Not to worry, you can now watch a colleague, friend or family member be honored for their years of service, and see who is being recognized for their outstanding contributions with a live stream of the event from your desktop!

On the day of the event, join us at 9:00 AM at: https://www.facebook.com/CSUNSSA/

The streamed event will also be available for viewing at a later date.

For those administrative staff responsible for processing the appointment of Academic Personnel and Student Employees for Summer 2018, we encourage you to enroll in one of the following workshops that have been scheduled. Register for the appropriate workshop session through the CSUN Portal as described below.

Summer 2018 Academic Personnel and Student Employee Hiring and Processing Workshop

This workshop is intended for administrative personnel responsible for hiring and processing both Summer Academic Personnel and Student Employees for employment during Summer 2018.

Summer 2018 Student Employee Hiring & Processing Workshop

This workshop is intended for administrative personnel responsible for processing the appointments of Academic Personnel and Student Employees in support of Summer 2018.  The focus of this session will be on hiring student employees.

ScholarShare is a state-sponsored, tax-advantaged 529 college savings plan that’s helping families and individuals plan for the cost of higher education. It’s available to any citizen or tax payer. And just about anyone can help contribute including Grandparents, other family members, and friends.

It only takes about 15 minutes to open an account online, and it is easy to manage. There are a variety of low-cost investment portfolios to choose from including age-based, multi-fund, single-fund, and guaranteed options.

A 529 college savings plan helps you save more over time. Any earnings grow free from federal tax, and many states offer a state income tax deduction or tax credit for contributions. Limitations apply. See the Disclosure Booklet for details. As a 529 Plan, ScholarShare also offers certain gift and estate tax planning benefits; consult your tax advisor. And withdrawals are tax-free at both the federal and state level when used for qualified higher education expenses.

National 529 Day is Coming!  Visit https://www.scholarshare.com/buzz/you-start-it.shtml for special offers and more details.

The following are guidelines to assist you in hiring students during summer sessions:

• Summer session appointments may be made if the student has been enrolled for the current Spring semester, and is planning on attending in the Fall.
• Students who graduate, and who are not admitted/enrolled for either the Summer or Fall semester, are not eligible for appointment as Student Assistants. The last day that a graduating student may work this semester is May 25th, the last day of the academic year. Also, Student Assistants will need to follow the 20 hours per week cap during that last week of the academic semester, regardless if they are finished with their finals earlier in the week.
• If a student is enrolled at least half time (six or more units for undergraduate students or four or more units for graduate students) cumulatively during the Summer session, the student may be appointed as a Student Assistant. He/she may work up to, but not in excess of, 20 hours per week total in all positions. The CSU policy for Student Assistants limits their normal working hours to 20 per week during academic sessions.
• If the eligible student (see 1st statement above), is not enrolled, or is enrolled in less than half time for a summer session, they may work as a “taxable” Student Assistant (Job Code 1874) for the months of June and July. They may work up to a maximum of 40 hours per week, but may not be scheduled to work overtime. Overtime is defined as more than 40 hours per week. A schedule may exceed eight hours a day, provided the total for the week does not exceed 40 hours. Overtime should not be authorized, because the State Controller's Office will not issue payments to Student Assistants in excess of 168 hours for a 21-day pay period, or in excess of 176 hours for a 22-day pay period.

Reminder: Student Assistants are employees and, as such, need to have the termination/separation date provided to Payroll as soon as it is known for preparation of the final pay check/warrant. 

If you have questions regarding International Students and eligibility to work over the summer, please contact the International Exchange Student Center (IESC) for their review and clarification of the International Student’s status and eligibility to work.

Specific information for summer student employment options may be found in the “Summer 2018 Student Employee Hiring & Processing Workshop Guide” which can be accessed in the Managers & HR Facilitators’ Toolkit webpage beginning May 4, 2018.

We also invite you to attend the Summer 2018 Student Employee Hiring & Processing Workshop on May 11th in Oviatt as advertised above.

Our Employee Assistant Program (EAP) & Work/Life Benefits Program has a new look.

Mylifematters.com still offers the same great features you’ve come to expect, including self-service options, webinars, self-assessments, and content on thousands of different topics. Sign in using the password "matadors."

This new look makes it easier to find the information needed, while also giving you faster access to the more popular items on the site via “quick links.”

In addition, LifeMatters services are available to you and your household members 24/7/365 by calling 1-800-367-7474.

Each month, LifeMatters, our Employee Assistance Program provider, offers webinars free to you and your family/household members. April offers the following webinar: 

Looking Forward: Breaking Free from Routine
Content includes: Moving from hoping for change to making a change.
Available as a pre–recorded webinar 

Working with Millennials – Wednesday, May 23
Two options: 12 noon Eastern/11 a.m. Central/9 a.m. Pacific and 3 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Central/12 noon Pacific
Content includes: Common misconceptions, tips, tools.
Register for the live webinars or please check our WorkLife Balance Webinar archives the month after this live webinar is complete.

LifeMatters App

Download the LifeMatters App for quick and convenient access. Sign in using the password "matadors."

For more information about LifeMatters benefits available to you as a CSUN employee, visit: http://www.csun.edu/benefits/lifematters-eap

The CSU will be implementing a transfer of asset balances currently held by the TSA legacy recordkeepers (Fidelity, MetLife, TIAA, VALIC, and Voya) to the active TSA Program administered by Fidelity. Balances held in legacy annuity contracts will not be affected by this transition.

Information was mailed and/or emailed to participants in February and April. The transfer of balances is scheduled to take place at the end of May 2018. For information about the “early choice window” and much more, view the information at https://csyou.calstate.edu/employee-resources/benefits/tsa-program/Pages/default.aspx

Did you know you can estimate your future Social Security benefit online at http://www.ssa.gov/

The Social Security Retirement Estimator produces estimates that are based on your actual Social Security benefits. You can also apply for Social Security, check the status of your online application, and complete many other transactions by visiting the Social Security Administration website.

If you will be participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program beginning 2018-2019 or are already enrolled, valuable information is available online about your benefits and pay while in the program. Please view the FERP (Faculty Early Retirement Program) and Your Benefits website.

Did you know that the Klotz Student Health Center offers services for Faculty and Staff and accepts Delta Dental and VSP?

For information and to book an appointment visit their website at: https://www.csun.edu/shc/faculty-and-staff-services.